What is social Networking?
Social networking is a rather new way people reach out and connect with each other. The use of the telephone is becoming a rather obsolete form of networking, while the use of cell phone text messaging and the Internet is by far the largest growing form of networking, especially among young people. It is a way for people with common interests, jobs and schooling to connect. It is a way for people to communicate with each other around the world. There are no walls to hold us back. You can post photos, videos and plenty of information about yourself on these social networking sites. This can be a wonderful way to keep up to date with family and friends around the globe, but along with the advantages, there are dangers.
Sites such as Facebook and My Space are the most popular networking sites. It is recommended that children between the ages of 13 and 17 are closely monitored by their parents. The problem is, many parents may not even know that their children even have an account. This can be a rather large problem, not only for the safety of the children, but for their future. Even though these sites may be registered as private, personal information can be taken from these sites and posted elsewhere. Colleges and businesses can access unwanted information you may have posted at one time and use it against you.
Our job as parents and educators is not to necessarily forbid our children from using these sites, because eventually they will whether we allow it or not, but to teach them that, yes, there are positive aspects to these social networking sites, but be aware of the dangers. Basically we need to teach them the do's and don'ts of social networking. Even though you took off a posting from your site, much of the information is cached or saved, and can still be accessed.
Topics that need to be discussed with your child:
Remember anything you post can be seen around the world by anyone. Rule of thumb, post things that you wouldn't mind your parents or even teachers viewing.
Think before you post! Once you post it, your information can be floating around in Cyberspace forever...even if you think you deleted it! Do you really want to post this picture or this information?
Something to consider:
If you allow your child to have a social networking site, or you find out that he or she has one, ask for the user name and password. If your child does not grant you this information, take this as a red flag.
When you walk into the room and you notice that your child quickly clicks to change the screen, then your child may be on a site he or she may not want you to see. Again, another red flag.
The best way to keep your children safe is to talk to them. Keep the lines of communication open.
Social networking is a rather new way people reach out and connect with each other. The use of the telephone is becoming a rather obsolete form of networking, while the use of cell phone text messaging and the Internet is by far the largest growing form of networking, especially among young people. It is a way for people with common interests, jobs and schooling to connect. It is a way for people to communicate with each other around the world. There are no walls to hold us back. You can post photos, videos and plenty of information about yourself on these social networking sites. This can be a wonderful way to keep up to date with family and friends around the globe, but along with the advantages, there are dangers.
Sites such as Facebook and My Space are the most popular networking sites. It is recommended that children between the ages of 13 and 17 are closely monitored by their parents. The problem is, many parents may not even know that their children even have an account. This can be a rather large problem, not only for the safety of the children, but for their future. Even though these sites may be registered as private, personal information can be taken from these sites and posted elsewhere. Colleges and businesses can access unwanted information you may have posted at one time and use it against you.
Our job as parents and educators is not to necessarily forbid our children from using these sites, because eventually they will whether we allow it or not, but to teach them that, yes, there are positive aspects to these social networking sites, but be aware of the dangers. Basically we need to teach them the do's and don'ts of social networking. Even though you took off a posting from your site, much of the information is cached or saved, and can still be accessed.
Topics that need to be discussed with your child:
Something to consider: